


In Time

by hansonope



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Adventure, F/F, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn, rating may go up later, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-22 23:50:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7458441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hansonope/pseuds/hansonope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jo wouldn't wish this fate for anyone. She doesn't know why she's here or how. And it's quite obvious to everyone around her that she doesn't belong here. Just another story where a Star Wars fan mucks up the entire galaxy with one Skywalker at a time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello! I've never posted on this site before, so this is a little new for me. I am posting on mobile and it took out my italics. I'll doctor it up later. This is also posted on fanfiction . Net, but I read where they changed their guidelines on a few things. So, the rating on this will go up as the story progresses. I will post things on here that I can't write on fanfiction. I could be wrong, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story. It's been forming for two years now. I will be using elements from Marvel's Princess Leia series, the current Star Wars comic series (I'll probably use up until the end of Rebel Jail with the Vader Down crossovers), Heir to the Jedi, and the Han Solo series.

Prologue

According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, the definition of fate is the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do. The second definition states that fate is an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end. In such rare events, fate hated Jo. Jo had thought of about this theory before, but now she was certain. Fate wanted to destroy her. The particular event in question that sparked this answer, was the night she developed the stomach flu. The stomach flu crept slowly upon her throughout the day. It began that morning at work with a minor stomach complication. That minor complication became a messy major problem when Jo finally laid her head upon her pillow of her bed after she returned from a long arduous journey from the bathroom.

Jo felt the room around her spinning and she tightly shut her eyes. Eventually, sleep overcame her struggles and the dizziness faded. Time and space crowded the surrounding air around her. The pressure in her chest built, squeezing her very heart. Jo's eyes flew open and she took a sudden gasp for air. Jo brought a fist to her chest, clutching the front of her shirt. She eventually calmed down long enough to take in her surroundings. Expecting to see the darkness of her room and bedroom door wide open, she instead found herself reclining in what looked like a half circle diner booth seat. Jo's pulse quickened back up and a cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. Jo began to panic. She looked all around her.

The setting was familiar, as if she had been there before, but this was not her room. And her room had been the last place she remembered being in. Jo gasped for air. She felt like she was in a half mission control room and half crudely decorated bachelor's pad. Her eyes stung from tears and her stomach protested against her.

'Oh my God! I've been kidnapped.' she thought as she shut her eyes. Her eyes snapped back open when she heard footsteps echo down a corridor to the entrance of the room she resided in. Jo let out a groan as she flew under the circular table that sat in front of the diner booth. The footsteps grew closer and closer, only to stop at the entrance.

"What is it, Ben?" a young male's voice inquired making Jo's heart skip a beat in fear. Jo froze and flattened herself against the booth.

"We are not alone here," another male voice replied to the other. Jo shut her eyes begging silently they would not find her.

"What?" the younger voice held surprise. Soft footsteps started again towards the table Jo had herself crammed under. Jo opened one eye to find a pair of brown boots peeking out of a long garb of clothing in front of her. Jo covered her ears rocking a bit from side to side.

"Please please please please please," she mouthed silently to herself.

"Ben?" another pair of footsteps joined its companion.

"It seems Solo has gained another passenger." with that there was some rustling of clothes against the table as one of the voice's owners crouched down to have a look under the table.

"Hello," someone said uncertainly. Jo let out an inhuman sound as a boy around her age stared timidly back at her. Not even bothering to register his other features, Jo gave a startled cry bringing her leg out from under her and sharply kicking the boy in the face. Her knee crashed into the table as the boy shouted, "Hey!" in pain. Jo scrambled out from under the table banging her head against the underside of it.

Jo dove for the circle opening that led into the corridor. Just as she did, she ran into a large object. The object gripped her shoulders and Jo glanced up in fear. A frightening being looked right back at her. The being tightened the hold it had on her shoulders making her cry out in pain. Jo quickly noticed how much hair it had and it's height. The creature bared its teeth and lowered its head threateningly. It let out a sharp deafening roar that made Jo scream. She turned to go back under the table, managing to break the creature's hold momentarily. The creature reached out and caught her by the scruff of the neck. He jerked her backwards. Jo fought against it, but the creature growled in retaliation. This action only made Jo cry harder.

"What in the blazes is going on in here!" a new voice exclaimed joining the scene. The creature turned its body and Jo toward the newcomer. Jo froze and cowered back against the creature. Jo knew who it was. Jo's eyes prickled with fresh tears as she took in the man in front of her. Sharp hazel eyes stared brutally back at her. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing on my ship!" Jo's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch and a sheen of sweat perspired upon her forehead. Jo managed to break the hold on her neck and bent forward releasing the remaining contents from her stomach and on top of the one and only's, Han Solo's boots. Jo crumpled to the floor as Han let out a slew of creative curses.

The floor was cool against Jo's cheek and legs. She was vaguely aware that she was not wearing any pants, but an over-sized T-shirt she had thrown on for comfort before this mess. Jo's cries were louder than Chewbacca's speech as he and Han yelled at each other. Jo curled into herself.

"I don't know where I am. I don't know where I am," she choked out. This caught everybody's attention.

"You don't know where you are?" Han gritted out. "Well, you are a stowaway on the Millennium Falcon, girl! And the next stop we make will be the end of your stay!"

"Nooooo," Jo cried. Chewbacca let out a few drawn out sounds.

"Might I suggest an alternate action?" the forgotten people by the booth decided to join in.

"And what might that be, old man?" growled Han.

"The girl is clearly in a state of distress. Interrogating her further is not the wisest choice to make at the moment." through Jo's blurred vision she could see none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi standing above her.

"Ben's right. She doesn't look so good," Luke Skywalker entered her line of sight by Obi-Wan. He glanced down at her.

"What clued you in, kid?" Han spat gesturing to the vomit all over his boots.

Obi-Wan turned to the wookiee. "Chewbacca, would you pick the girl up and take her to your living quarters?" Chewbacca huffed and looked at Han.

"Listen, old man, I give the orders here and this girl is getting no such luxuries from us!" Han crossed his arms. As he stated this, Chewbacca gave Jo a calculating glare. Before Obi-Wan was able to say anything, Chewbacca bent down and picked up Jo. This rekindled a new life in her as she kicked into full fight-or-flight mode. "Chewie! What are you doing?" Han demanded. Chewbacca ignored his friend and started walking with Jo in his arms.

"Please please please please," Jo begged sorrowfully aloud. Obi-Wan and Luke followed closely behind the wookiee as he carried her into a cramped room. He tossed her onto a rather hard cot.

Jo struggled to get up, but Chewbacca placed a large furry paw on top of her chest to push her back down. He growled at her making her freeze.

"Thank you, old friend." Obi-Wan said placing a wrinkled hand on Chewbacca's arm. Chewbacca barked a response as he side-stepped out of the room. Obi-Wan came to the side of the cot closest to Jo. "Hello there, young one." He said kindly. He lifted his left hand and placed it onto Jo's fevered forehead. "You must rest now."

He slid his calloused hand over Jo's eyes. A soft warm lull washed over her body and mind. Her eyelids grew heavy. "Sleep..." she heard the voice drift into her ears. She felt Obi-Wan get up. Jo blinked blearily up to see a wide pair of blue eyes stare right back at her. The heaviness grew unbearable. Her eyes slowly shut and she drifted away. She knew nothing more but the darkness that cradled her.


	2. Chapter 2

Jo felt like she was floating. She was surrounded by blue skies and white clouds. A bird flew past her as she continued to rise upwards. She looked down to see her home on Earth grow smaller and smaller. Her ascension extended above the Earth's atmosphere and into the blackness of space. Oxygen no longer existed and she felt an unbearable pressure grow in her chest. Jo wrenched herself awake and hoped that everything she had experienced that night had been nothing but a dream. Instead of finding herself tucked away in her own bed, she found herself in the dimly lit matchbox. An actual honest to God wookiee had brought her to this tiny room.

Jo's stomach had calmed down considerably, but as soon as she took in her surroundings her anxiety increased. She placed a hand on her forehead and she collected her thoughts. She was on THE _Millennium Falcon_. She had thrown up all over Han Solo's boots. She clenched her jaw at the memory. She knew Luke. She knew Obi-Wan. The problem was none of this was supposed to be real. She suddenly felt a strong urge to just go stare at these people to assure herself of her sanity. She wanted to take all of it in. This couldn't be real.

She swung her legs over the side of the cot and counted to ten. She took a deep breath and stood up on shaky legs. It was now or never. She walked out of the small room and into a narrow hallway. The hallway was dark and on either side of her room were other doors to other quarters. She pulled her T-shirt down as far as it would go so it gave her bottom half more coverage. She sighed ad crept down the hall. She went out the opening and found herself in another hallway. She heard distinct voices coming from the left hallway. She followed the sounds until she was back in the Main Hold. She pressed her body against the entrance and peeked inside. There she found Luke Skywalker being mentored by Obi-Wan. It was a familiar scene that made her mouth fall open. She watched Luke follow the remote bot's movements with his blue lightsaber ignited. Obi-Wan softly gave him instructions. She leaned forward to hear what Obi-Wan was saying. Luke switched off the saber. When he did, Jo forgot that he was positioned facing the direction she was hiding in. They locked eyes and Jo gasped ducking out of the room. She cursed herself for being found.

"Okay, Jo. You're not crazy. You can do this. It's okay," she muttered to herself. She pushed her body away from the hiding place and walked slowly into the Main Hold. She kept her head down and heard the dejarik table sounds where Chewbacca resided with the droids. She clasped and unclasped her hands. She messed with her hair. She tugged on the bottom of her shirt and awkwardly held herself. It was many minutes before someone found the words to speak. She peeked up through the hair that had fallen in her face. Luke was already studying her. She blew the hair out of her face and focused on a spot above his head. What do you do when your childhood hero is standing right in front of you?

"Are you feeling better?" Luke asked politely.

"Yeah," she said clearing her throat.

"That's good." he gave her a genuine smile once she finally met his eyes again. "What's your name?"

"Jo." Luke's smile grew impossibly wider. She felt a blush spread against her cheeks.

"Hello Jo. I'm Luke Skywalker." _'I know.'_ she replied mentally. She gave him a tight smile.

Obi-Wan, who had chosen to stay silent through this exchange, stood up from his perch on the scanners. "Let's not overwhelm her, Luke. Try the seeker once more," he said with encouragingly. As Luke readied himself, Obi-Wan held out a hand to Jo. "Come, Jo. We have much to discuss."

Jo followed him to the Main Hold's entrance. It was a place that was out of Luke's earshot. The place gave Obi-Wan a good view of Luke's training if he should need him. he sounds of a lightsaber igniting echoes around them.

"Jo, where is your home?" Obi-Wan inquired with an all-knowing glint in his eye.

"That's a bit intrusive," she blurted out and instantly regretted it. She felt her face heat up and turned her attention completely on Luke. She watched as he cautiously followed the remote. Obi-Wan chuckled softly.

"How is it you know Luke?" he gently prodded. "Are you from Tatooine too, perhaps?"

"I'm not from Tatooine," Jo admitted stiffly. Luke swung at the remote and missed it altogether. His concentration was admirable.

"The Force around you is rather peculiar. If you aren't from Tatooine, where is it you hail from? The way you are watching him just now-," Obi-Wan paused to study Luke as he faltered a bit with his saber. "it is as if you are watching an old friend." His words threw her off gaurd.

'In many ways, he is,' she thought to herself. Once she did, Obi-Wan turned to face her as if she had said it aloud. He frowned and opened his mouth to say something more when his face went slack. He stepped forward and faltered. Luke immediately switched off the lightsaber.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern as Obi-Wan wearily made his way to a seat nearby. "What's wrong?"

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force," Obi Wan quietly said. Jo's heart dropped. "it's as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something has happened." He ran a hand over his face. For a bit, his eyes were lost. Luke gave Jo a worried look. Obi Wan was not there mentally. He finally returned his attention to Luke. "You'd better get on with your exercises."

Luke hesitated, but obeyed anyway. Jo watched as he turned into full jedi mode. Chewbacca and the droids' focus had not left the intense game they were immersed in.

"Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs," Han Solo smirked as he sauntered into the room. He sighed as he lowered himself into a chair by the scanners. "I told you I'd outrun 'em." He flashed Obi Wan a smug smile and took off his gloves. Luke swung at a bolt the remote had shot out at him. Han's grin fell away. "Don't everyone thank me at once." Jo bit her lip in hopes that Han wouldn't look her way. Han Solo was a bit scary in person. She did not enjoy being yelled at.

"Anyway, we should reach Alderaan in about oh-two-hundred hours," Han swiveled around in his chair and locked in on Jo. "which will be the end of the line for you. I hope you like mountains." His shit-eating grin had returned. Jo's eyes narrowed. "What? Thought I wouldn't notice you? You, girl, are not very good at hiding." He ran a hand through his hair and leaned farther back in his chair. "Besides, it's hard not to notice you. Where's your clothes?"

Jo pulled on the ends of her tee. The white shirt only reached her knee. Pants were restricting in bed and it took bravery to wear a bra to sleep. She shrugged awkwardly. "I'm not - I'm not sure." she answered honestly. Han looked skeptical, but shrugged nonchalantly.

"You might want to find some then," he said disparagingly. "I hear Alderaan's a bit cold." and with that Jo was dismissed. She felt a strong urge to throw something at him. Chewbacca let out a loud wail.

"He made a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you." C-3PO chimed in defending R2-D2.

"Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a wookiee," interrupted Han. The remote whooshed past Jo's face.

"But, sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid." Threepio said seriously.

Han laughed and leaned forward on the arm of the chair. "That's cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that." Han looked back at Jo. The warning seemed directed more to her than Threepio. Jo stared back defiantly. She would not back down. The look on her face clearly told Han Solo she was not scared. She huffed and looked back at Luke who had quit following the remote's movements.

Obi Wan stood and raised his hands. "Remember. A Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him."

"You mean it controls your actions?" Luke glanced his way.

Jo knew what was about to happen. She decided she was too close to Luke and walked to the side of the droids. "Hello there," Threepio took notice of her for the first time upon her arrival. "I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. This is my counterpart, R2-D2." R2 beeped at his name.

"Hi," Jo smiled. "I'm Jo."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mistress Jo." Threepio said cheerfully. Jo felt a surge of affection for the droid.

Luke abruptly let out a cry of pain. The little bot had blasted him in the side of the leg. Luke stumbled and caught Jo staring at him. His face flushed in embarrassment when Han laughed at his misfortune.

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." Han said with confidence.

_'I know I've seen this before, but damn,'_ Jo seethed.

Luke switched off the blade. "You don't believe in the force do you?" he pouted.

"Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one-all powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny." Jo rolled her eyes thinking just about Han's future destiny. "It's all simple tricks and nonsense."

Jo summoned all the courage she had left in her. She made direct eye contact with Han. "Lightsabers are better than blasters."

"Really now?" Han fired back. Obi Wan set Luke up with a helmet.

"Lightsabers require skill and expertise. Something you clearly don't know about." Jo didn't know why she felt the urge to say this. But if looks could kill, the look Han Solo had given Jo needed a blaster and a lightsaber to fend off.

"Are you calling me stupid?" Han asked dangerously.

'N-no," Jo gulped. "just very inexperienced in these matters." _Yet._

During their argument, Luke had managed to be shot at again by the remote. His yell drew Han and Jo's attention away from one another.

"Stretch out with your feelings!" Obi Wan exclaimed. He threw the seeker back up in the air. It dove for Luke. Luke successfully deflected all of the bolts it fired. Jo turned back to Han with a smug grin.

"You see! You can do it." Obi-Wan praised.

"I call it luck," scoffed Han. He gave Jo a 'Go to Hell' look.

Jo shifted her smile to Luke. "It's not luck. You looked awesome!" Luke's nose crinkled at Jo's use of 'awesome'. The smile on her face ensured that it had meant to be a compliment.

Luke returned the smile tenfold. The smile made Jo feel starstruck all over again. She became increasingly aware of her appearance. She also became aware of the purple bruise forming under Luke's left eye. Jo winced and felt ashamed as she remembered the kicking incident.

"Looks like we're coming up on Alderaan." Han grabbed up Chewie and left for the cockpit. Jo woke from her stupor. Luke had already turned his back on her to talk to Obi-Wan. Jo felt her face grow hotter. She strapped herself in the booth by the gaming table.

Luke and Obi-Wan followed after Han. She thought it would be safer to evade the wrath of Han once the future events unfolded. Especially after he'd find out that he would be stuck with her a bit longer.

' _Since Alderaan no longer exists and all.'_ she bitterly thought.

 

* * *

 

 

"Mistress Jo, I do not think this is a very wise decision," Threepio reprimanded. The Falcon shook as it flew through the remains of Alderaan. Jo could not breathe and paced the entirety of the Main Hold. The ship gave a violent jerk and threw Jo into Threepio's metal body. "Oh goodness me! Mistress Jo perhaps it would be safest if you secured yourself in the cockpit." Jo groaned and rubbed her elbow. She pushed herself off of the golden droid. The Falcon ceased its shaking. Jo froze.

'The tractor beam!' she grabbed Threepio's metal shoulders. "Threepio, something isn't right!" she exclaimed. She bit her lip considering her words carefully. "Something bad is coming! We have to-," she was cut off by Han and Chewbacca running into the Hold. Han scrambled over to where she stood and snatched her right arm roughly.

"We gotta move!" he yelled and jerked her forward. "Chewie. grab the droids!"

'What's going on!" Jo screamed trying to throw off Han's hold. This only made him strengthen his grip. He pulled her out of the room and into a corridor. He slid down to his knees and pulled her down with him.

"Empire. No time to explain!" he felt around on the floor for a latch. He gave a shout as he threw it open. A thick puff of white smoke drifted upwards. He looked at her expectantly. "Get in there and keep quiet if you want to live." Jo gave him a panicked look. Han understood it and for the first time, his eyes softened. He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I don't have enough room in my smuggling compartments for all of us. This is the Maintenance Access. They are more likely to find us than you. But we have to move now! I can't sit here and hold your hand!" Jo glared at him and crawled over to the open space. It was hot and Jo was certain that one wrong move down there would set off something toxic. She gave him a nod and he pulled her to the edge. She swung her legs over the edge and he put his hands under either armpit to slowly lower her into the scary cramped place. He said nothing more to her and slammed the hatch back into place leaving her in pitch black darkness. The only form of light were the tiny white flashes coming off of the appliances that kept the Falcon running. She wrapped her arms around her knees and tucked into herself. She was frightened and had no idea where she was in the Falcon. She thought about Finn and Rey crawling around under the floorboards of the ship. But they wore oxygen masks and she had nothing.

'I'm going to die here.' she felt her eyes water as she thought about the stormtroopers. Facing Darth Vader would be far worse than any wookiee pulling her arms out of their sockets.

For several long minutes, all Jo could hear was her own breathing and the soft whirs of the machines. Then the tiny area vibrated as the sounds of boots storming into the ship echoed above her. She let a startled sound escape her and she clamped a hand over her mouth. The boots thumping overhead grew louder. Jo let a few tears escape her eyes. The tiny space she was in felt like it was closing in on her. She covered her ears and tried to make herself smaller. She was sure they were going to find her. A loud slam echoed throughout the Falcon and Jo jumped. How would Darth Vader kill her? Would he choke her to death? Sever a few of her limbs?

Light flooded her hiding spot and she wrenched her head from between her knees to look up. Instead of a stormtrooper looming menacingly above her, Chewbacca was leaning over the side. He caught the tears running down her cheeks and she furiously swiped them away. Chewbacca reached his long hairy arms down to her to pull her up. She stood slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her up carefully and sat her on the ledge. As soon as her bottom met higher ground, a wad of clothes slammed into the side of her face.

"Put those on!" Han demanded. He and Luke were currently dressing in stormtrooper armor. She unfolded the wad in her lap. Han had given her a pair of pants and a jacket. The pants looked huge and they were obviously Han's. Han watched as she stretched out the pants just to see how big they were. He tossed her a belt. "Put them on." he growled.

She blushed when she remembered her state of dress. "Um...I can't." Luke and Han shared a look.

"Well, turn around kid!" said Han. Luke turned pink and whirled around as Han did the same. Chewbacca took the opportunity to inspect some discarded blasters.

Jo double checked to make sure Obi-Wan and the droids weren't around. She threw on the brown leather jacket over her white shirt. She hurriedly shimmied into the pants. The pants were blue and felt like silk against her legs. They were too big, but she tied the belt around her waist to hold them up. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Ready." she said nervously.

Han turned back around and took in her change in appearance. "Nice," he said unimpressed. Luke looked on the verge of laughter. She knew she was probably a sight. The jacket hung loosely around her and the sleeves covered her hands. Despite her pants being held tightly at the waist by the belt, the blue pant legs covered her bare feet.

"It was either this or let you be found in what you wearing before," Han said bending over to pick up a stormtrooper helmet that laid at his feet. "Alright, lets get this over with." Luke made a sound in agreement and put on his helmet.

Han walked over to Jo and a hand on her shoulder. "Stay here. It wouldn't be such a good idea to have you tagging along with us. There are two guys knocked out on this ship and once they wake up, everybody in this damned place will probably find out about us. Stay hidden. Stay alive. You and I still haven't talked about your little stowaway stunt." Han gave her shoulder a little uncomfortable pat.

"But what if they catch me?" Jo's voice quivered. Thoughts of Darth Vader had returned.

"Easy. Don't get caught." he then gave her his classic smirk.

"Han, we have to go. They keep asking about our posts!" Luke said anxiously.

"Okay, kid. Go out there already!" Han said over his shoulder. He turned back to her. "Lightsabers may require a lot of 'expertise', but a blaster is more conventional. And no offense, girl, but I really think you couldn't handle either." He was right. She smiled sadly. "There's one in the holster of that belt if you need it anyway. ONLY use it if you need it."

She nodded and his hand slipped away from her shoulder. He put on his helmet. "I better go before that old man gets us all killed."

With that, he swaggered out of the ship. Jo was left on her own again with all of her knowledge of this world and Han Solo's blaster strapped to her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, how am I doing? I hope I am doing a fairly good job with writing Han and Co. My biggest fear is to write something that is OOC. I feel like I should at least know these characters. So hopefully I've written them dead on.


	3. Chapter 3

Once, Jo's father had attempted to teach her how to shoot a gun. He had said it was for self-defense practice, but as Jo held the heavy weapon in her hands it had felt like a death sentence. She had barely gotten through the lesson before her nerves got the best of her. Jo decided that she despised guns after that particular day. But guns and blasters were two totally different things. They were both equally dangerous, except Jo was more apt to figuring out how to fire a gun from Earth rather than a DL-44 heavy blaster pistol that she had only seen used in video games.

Jo still stood in the Main Hold where Han had left her. She had pulled out the blaster from the holster of the belt. It was heavy and Jo had almost dropped it in surprise. Jo was positive that Han had left the safety off. Jo instantly thought of the two stripped stormtroopers that were knocked out somewhere in the ship. She gulped and cautiously placed the gun back into the holster.

She wondered briefly if Han and Luke had made it to Leia's cell yet. She had no idea how long it had been since they had left her in the dimly lit freighter. She was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when she heard a loud muffled thunk come from the corridor. Her heart quickened and she gripped the blaster tightly. Had Han stunned the two men or had Chewbacca hit them over the head? Did that actually work? She heard more noises and movement come from the corridor. Jo took a deep breath and summoned all of the courage she had left from within herself. She considered searching for the two men just to settle her nerves. She thought against it when the weight of the blaster gripped in her hands became a burden. She didn't know how she would defend herself.

Low voices echoed through the air. Jo limped forward and clutched the weapon to her side. She pressed herself against the corridor wall once she exited the Hold. There slumped over and wide awake, were the two men. One was a bald middle aged man who held his head in his hands. The other looked barely older than her and had buzzed brown hair. He was much smaller than the bald man. They both wore light colored t-shirts and pants that resembled sweats. The brown haired boy slowly stood and groaned in pain.

"Darth Vader will personally dispose of us once he finds out who let the fugitives roam free," spat out the older man as he clawed at the sides of his head.

"I feel like a rancor sat on my head!" whined the boy.

"Blast!" the man cursed and threw a fist against the wall he was currently leaned against.

"I heard that they had managed to capture the Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan." the boy looked down towards the man. "You don't suppose that the Rebs have launched a rescue mission, do you?"

The man glared up at the boy. "No. The Rebels aren't stupid. If one is caught, it is known that they are left to die. The Rebels won't come back for her. Her fate is sealed. Besides, I heard Lord Vader has ordered for her execution." There was a long pause as the boy looked almost remorseful.

"What will we do?" he implored eventually.

"We go to Grand Moff Tarkin ourselves and admit to our mistake. Then we await our judgement." the man said and sat up on his knees.

Just as the boy opened his mouth to speak, the sharp wailing sounds of the Death Star's alarm erupted around them. The boy shut his eyes tightly and the man flashed an unsettling grin.

"They've found them!" the man hissed.

Jo gasped and instantly regretted it when the boy's head snapped to her direction.

"What was that?" the boy asked.

Jo reached one hand behind her and felt against the wall. She shuffled backwards in an attempt to get away. "There's more of them!" the man whispered and pulled himself up to his full height. The boy started walking towards Jo.

"Oh no. Oh no!" Jo muttered under her breath. She held up the blaster in defense and gripped it tightly in both of her palms.

"Hello?" the boy crept closer. "Who's there?"

"Dispose of the pleasantries and find them!" shouted the man.

Jo picked up her pace and stumbled blindly backwards. Her right foot snagged itself in Han's baggy pant legs and she tumbled back. She let out a shriek. The boy ran to her and gaped in disbelief.

"Sir, it's just a girl!" he called out to the man.

Jo hastily searched for Han's blaster that had slipped from her grip when she fell. She found it discarded a few centimeters away and crawled to it. She snatched it up and shakily pointed it at the boy.

"You stay away from me!" she growled. Tears fell from her eyes in fright. The boy backed away but stopped when the man arrived next to him. Jo pointed it at the man and then back at the boy. "I'm warning you!"

The man's nasty smile reappeared. "Go ahead!" he laughed mockingly.

Jo showed him her teeth and straightened her arms. "You don't have the posture of a killer. You are no threat to us," he made a move towards her and Jo put a finger over the trigger. He stopped.

"I'll do it." she said hoarsely. The boy looked anxiously at his friend.

"Sir," he protested. The man rolled his eyes and snatched at Jo. Jo shut her eyes and pulled the trigger. The force of the blast that followed jerked Jo's hands back and a red laser bolt zipped out. The men jumped apart and the bolt shot through the wall of the Falcon. Han would not be happy about that later. The man let out a growl and reached forward. He snatched Han's blaster from Jo's loose grip. He thrust it into his companion's hands.

'Oh God,' she panicked. The man had a dangerous glint in his eye as he hauled her up by her wrists. She struggled against his hold, but he twisted her left wrist behind her back. He pushed her forcefully against the wall she had shot at.

"Where are your friends?" he gritted out in her left ear.

Jo shook her head violently and wailed. He twisted her wrist tighter and she cried out. "Where are they!" he shouted.

"I don't know!" she choked out.

"Sir! Why don't we just take her to Tarkin?" the boy stammered. It was something he clearly wasn't about to enjoy.

The man contemplated the boy's words and shoved Jo. "If not Tarkin, Lord Vader will surely want to see her." he adjusted his other hand on the back of her neck. "Looks like you're coming with us," he whispered into her ear. Jo threw her head back in desperation, but the man yanked a handful of her hair. "None of that now!" he pulled her against him and led her away from the wall. "Go to the Loading Doors and make sure they are open!" he barked at the boy.

"Yes, sir!" the boy ran ahead as the man trekked on with Jo in his clutches.

Jo was sure Han and Luke were dealing with the giant trash compactor by now. If they weren't getting crushed, it would still be a little while more before they made it back up to the upper level. Nobody would save Jo now. Darth Vader could not get a hold of her. He would know that Jo was not of this world and had the knowledge of the galaxy. It was not wise to lie to Darth Vader.

She would have to save herself. She threw her head back again and caught the man in the chin. He cried in pain, but did not relinquish his hold. She leaned all of her dead weight against him. He was ready for her this time and tugged on her hair as hard as he could. She screeched and turned her head at an angle where she could see half of his face. She spat at him and attempted to head-butt him once more. He released her wrist and brought a fist down on her nose. He then buried his hands into her hair and led her out. Her scalp felt like it was on fire and her nose started to bleed. Her entire face felt like it was bruising.

"You kriffing harpy! I'll kill you myself!" he screamed viciously. He tugged on her hair, forcing Jo to bend over and follow his quick steps.

He got to the Loading Doors where the boy stood waiting. "Don't just stand there! Grab her!" the man bellowed. He yanked her up by the hair and twisted her left wrist back behind her. Blood poured into her mouth as the boy stared wide eyed back assessing the state she was in. He caught the look the bald man gave him and jumped into action. He latched on to her right arm. She was pushed roughly down the Loading ramp and into the bright light of the Death Star. She squinted as light flooded her vision.

"You there!" someone called out. "Halt!"

"My designation is TK-421 and this traitor belongs to the rogue fugitives! We were attacked by a wookiee and his companions. Our armor was stolen!" the man answered. Jo's eyes adjusted to the light. She let out a gasp when she found that at least ten stormtroopers surrounded them with their blasters drawn.

A few broke away from the group and marched forward to take Jo. Jo felt the boy release her. She shut her eyes briefly and said a prayer to anybody that was listening. She took a deep breath and swung her free arm at the boy. Her sharp bony elbow dug into his nose and he stumbled back in shock. She then threw all of her weight one last time against the older man and he teetered backwards. He released her hair and she swung around. She formed a fist and gave him a sharp right hook into his windpipe. He turned a deep shade of red and struggled to breathe. She whirled back around and ran towards the band of stormtroopers whom looked completely unsure of what to do.

She dove under the legs of one particularly large trooper that stood between her and the Main Bay's door. The troopers awoke from their daze and shot at her. Red laser bolts zipped around her. She ran in a zig-zag pattern to insure their missings.

"Don't kill her! Keep her alive!" TK-421 coughed out.

A stray blast barely missed her left ear. It singed a bit of her hair and she screamed. She sped up. She pattered under the big hanger door. The hallway was clear. There were four other hallways she could take. She descended down the nearest hallway to her left.

"HALT!" the stormtroopers' voices carried down the hallway, but she didn't stop. She wouldn't.

She felt her sides protest form her venture. She wished she still had Han's blaster. She would have blasted the door panels to cut off the hallway. She glanced behind her and found that she was ahead of the party. She saw the hallway end into two pathways. She took the right and collided with a metal body. The two bodies fell to the floor and Jo's forehead came down roughly onto a cool metal surface.

"Why I never!" the metal object exclaimed. Jo sat up wildly as she quickly registered C-3PO's voice. In a moment of relief and euphoria, she could have hugged the droid.

"C-3PO!" Jo cried. She began to laugh despite the tears that flowed freely.

"Mistress Jo!" the droid's voice raised. "I thought Han Solo ordered you to stay on the Millennium Falcon! R2 and I have only recently made contact with Master Luke. They should -," Jo interrupted hm and scrambled off his body. She pulled him up. He was rather heavy, but in a moment of distress she felt like the Hulk.

"They found me! I'm in trouble. You have to hide me or we will all die here!" she panted and gripped his arm.

"Oh my! We cannot move from this spot! This is the service panel. Master Luke may need us again!" Threepio explained. R2-D2 nudged Jo's leg and let out a series of beeps. "That may work, Artoo! Mistress Jo, Artoo believes he is big enough to shield you if you crouch against the panel!"

Jo gave the panel a once over. There was a corner in between the two machines. She was the exit to the Docking Bay where the Falcon was a distance away. The droids had a clear view of the ship. She nodded giving Artoo the okay and crammed her body in the tiny space. She brought her knees to her chest in the tiny space. She tried to make herself as small as possible. Artoo rolled in front of her and Threepio stood in front of the smallest droid to cover where her body could be clearly seen from behind Artoo.

She thought this was a bit silly for a hiding spot. But they didn't have any other options. It was better to hide in plain sight than to continue to run around the space station.

"There seems to be more stormtroopers gathered around Han Solo's ship now. Mistress Jo, you have alerted an entire squadron!" Threepio murmured to Artoo and Jo.

 _'We've alerted the whole damn space station!'_ she bitterly thought cursing Threepio's ability to state the obvious.

A buzzing sound vibrated through Threepio's hand. _"C-3PO, do you copy?"_ Luke's soft voice sounded from the tiny comlink.

"For the moment," Threepio replied. "We are in the main hanger across from the ship."

" _We're right above you. Stand by."_ Luke's voice crackled out.

Jo's nerves calmed at the sound of Luke's voice. Her sides and her chest still burned from the activities of the day. Her head ached from the collision with Threepio and she felt the dried blood crust against her mouth.

Something felt wrong. There was no way the troopers from earlier had stopped searching for her. She knew she hadn't evaded them so easily. The fact that they hadn't marched past their post unsettled Jo.

"Where could they be?" Threepio fretted after a while. Artoo's head swiveled around to face Jo. Jo jerked back in surprise. He beeped to alert Jo to give him room to access the panel she was up against.

"Oh right." she said aloud and scooted away to give him space. He plugged in to the computer socket and turned his dome back around to face Threepio. He beeped a response and Threepio raised his arms.

"Thank goodness, they are not in harm's way!" he said joyfully. Artoo beeped a few low beeps. Threepio's arms fell to his sides. "Mistress Jo, I regret to inform you that there is an order out for you. They have a description."

Jo nodded numbly. She didn't know what to think or how to react. She was now a known traitor in an unknown galaxy. "Might I suggest we leave for the Docking Bay?" Artoo whined and Jo used his dome to help herself up.

"I lost Han's blaster. I don't have anything to defend us." Jo said sorrowfully.

"We would not need it. R2 and I shall go ahead of you. Follow at a distance and if there should be any danger, we will create a diversion." Threepio turned and the droids left for the exit.

Jo gave them a two minute head start. She followed closely behind them. As they neared the exit, she observed her options for a swift escape if she should need it. The droids stopped in the center of the Docking Bay. Threepio twisted around to see how far back Jo was. When he calculated that she was close enough, he twisted back around.

"Come on, Artoo, we're going!" he assured. He stepped forward, but changed his direction when seven stormtroopers rushed away from the Falcon. He ducked out of sight momentarily and made Jo panic. He reappeared and pulled Artoo to make him roll faster to the ship.

Jo knew the stormtroopers were running to the aide of Darth Vader. Threepio ducked under the Falcon's entrance. Artoo followed and rolled up the ramp. Jo drew closer and froze. Across the Docking Bay Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewbacca ran for the Falcon. Leia and Han ducked under the Falcon to enter the ship. Luke slowed to a walk and observed the duel between Vader and Obi-Wan. Jo couldn't see the duel for she wasn't close enough.

"Luke!" Han hissed loud enough for Jo to hear. Luke's face contorted into a look of sheer horror as he witnessed Obi-Wan's downfall.

"NO!" he screamed and raised his blaster. The sound of his mournful cry pierced Jo's heart.

Suddenly, the Death Star was filled with blaster fire. Luke stayed put and returned in rage. Han drew his blaster having no choice but to join in.

"Come on!" Han yelled over the fire.

"Luke, come on! Luke! It's too late!" Leia called out gripping the side of the ramp to balance herself as she leaned forward.

"Blast the door, kid!" Han threw his head back and happened to catch Jo standing in the center of the Docking Bay. "JO!" Han's voice was distinct amid the chaos and impossibly louder. This alerted Leia and the princess followed Han's gaze.

Jo rekindled all of her energy and ran toward the ship. Blasts of red flew all around her and hit the floor near her bare feet. Leia moved up the ramp and into the ship. Han stayed where he was and kept an arm outstretched toward her. Once Jo made it to the ramp, Han pulled her to his side. Her face squashed against his right shoulder. She gripped the material of his vest for dear life. He dragged her inside and dumped her off in the Main Hold where Princess Leia waited. Han rushed out of the Hold presumably to the cockpit.

Leia crossed her arms and gave Jo a scrutinizing glare. Luke picked that moment to appear in the Hold. He rid himself of his stolen blaster and walked over to Jo.

"Oh Jo," Luke scolded and placed a cool hand against her cheek to observe her bruises. Jo blushed at his proximity and her foolishness. Blood caked her nostrils, lips, and the front of her once white t-shirt.

"I'm sorry." she croaked. And she was. About Obi-Wan. About endangering everyone. She felt immense guilt. Luke picked up on her change in behavior and gave her a weary smile. It was a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"I thought Solo said she was supposed to stay here on the ship." Leia spoke up.

"I was found," Jo answered and hung her head in shame. Luke released the side of her face and groaned. Jo knew he was remembering the two troopers.

"Then it's lucky that you managed to escape." declared Leia with a hint of surprise.

"There is an order out for Mistress Jo's capture." C-3PO vocalized from his place by the dejarik table.

"As is all of ours, I'm sure." Leia muttered.

"I thought Han gave you his blaster?" Luke inquired. He ignored Leia's grim statement.

Jo refused to look at either of the two. "He did. I-I just didn't know how to... _use_ it. It was taken from me."

"You don't know how to defend yourself?" Leia blurted. Jo shook her head in shame. "A blaster is very simple to operate! Why didn't you hide? How very careless of you! Do you know that Darth Vader would have gladly cut you down where you stand?" Jo blinked away tears. After all, not everyone could be a warrior princess. She was tired of crying and feeling pitiful.

"Excuse me," Jo whispered and pushed past the pair in humiliation. She exited out of the Main Hold to the Main Corridor. She made out Han's voice that echoed down the corridor. She sheepishly made her way to the cockpit. Chewbacca and Han dutifully sat in their pilot chairs. Through the windows and above her was the vastness of space. Jo's mouth fell open in awe. It was like looking up at the night sky from Earth. Jo stumbled to the nearest chair and slowly sank into one.

Han heard her come in and glanced behind him. "You look terrible."

Jo snapped back to reality and looked down at her hands.

"I lost your blaster," she wrung her hands. She prepared herself for the scolding of her life, but it never came.

"You look like you could use a wash. I have one refresher in my quarters. Use it to clean the blood off of your face. I don't have enough water for you to spend all day cleaning in storage. The sonic is faulty and it's on my list of repairs. Chewie here should have enough time to show you where it's at." Han offered not bothering to turn back around to face her. Chewbacca stood and towered over Jo. He reached out one furry paw. "And take that jacket off before you wash. That's _genuine_ bantha hide and water ruins it. It was a _gift_!"

Chewbacca helped Jo upwards and led her out of the cockpit. His paw gently grasped her right hand. His furry paw was enormous. He led her to the Main Corridor and paused when Jo stopped. He cocked his head to the side in confusion and gave a questioning sound.

"Please...erm, don't take me through the Hold." she stared at her feet. She couldn't face Leia and Luke again.

Chewbacca caught on and led her the opposite direction through a new set of corridors. They finally came to the Crew Quarters. Chewbacca messed around with a nearby control panel. The door to the left whooshed open and he nudged her inside. It was not as small as the tiny room she had found herself in when she woke, but it was considerably cramped. The bed was much larger in comparison and clothes were strewn haphazardly around. Chewbacca gestured for her to sit on the bed. She obeyed and he opened another door that was in the room. She assumed it was the refresher. He was gone for a few minutes and returned with a damp cloth. He dropped it into her lap and left. She stared blankly at the cloth.

Leia was scarier than Han. Han wasn't mad that Jo had lost his blaster. Why would Leia be mad and Han was not? She scrubbed furiously at her face with the cloth and felt the dried blood disappear. She had forgotten to take off Han's jacket, but at this point she didn't care. She was useless. She threw the cloth to the floor and laid back on the bed. She put her arms over eyes and wished she were home in her own room. Her family were probably worried sick. She wondered of the grocery store she worked at had replaced her with Susan from the bakery. Susan had been after Jo's register position from the start. Who would feed her fish? Who would walk Toby? Her family hated Toby. Her siblings were allergic to dogs. Were there even dogs in Star Wars?

Jo was quite literally jerked from her self-pity when the Falcon shook. The TIE Fighters! she shot up and ran into the Main Hold. Threepio and R2-D2 were seated at the game table.

"Mistress Jo, I believe we are under attack!" cried Threepio. Threepio stood to give Jo some room. When he did, the Falcon lurched violently and sent him flying back into a cabinet. Jo dashed past the scene and to the Main Corridor. Sounds of laser blasts from the outside could be heard.

"GOT HIM! I got him!" Luke's celebration could be heard from above her.

Jo ran into the cockpit where Chewbacca and Leia watched two TIE Fighters loop around the ship. A parade of laser bolts coming to and from the ship ignited outside. One TIE Fighter exploded as a green bolt form the ship's guns made contact with it. The explosion reminded Jo of a firework. The last TIE loomed in and fired. More green bolts from the ship tore into the lone fighter. Its combustion was similar to its companion's.

"We did it!" Leia jumped up and hugged Chewbacca. Jo felt a genuine smile appear for the first time in ages. She giggled and ran back into the corridor to meet the boys.

Han climbed down the ladder and met Jo's smile with one of his own. "Enjoy the show?"

She nodded eagerly. "It was amazing!"

He laughed at her reaction and gave her shoulder a squeeze as he passed her to get to the cockpit. She waited for Luke. Not long after Han, Luke descended from the ladder to find her there.

"Did you see my shot?" he asked.

"Yes!" she said excitedly. "You were awesome!" As always.

Still unfamiliar with the term, his smile still grew. "I didn't think I was going to make it for a minute there."

"But you did! We're alive!" Jo waved her hands.

Luke observed her for a bit and his smile reached his eyes as he gave her a soft attentive look. "You look better." he confirmed.

Jo rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. "Uh, thanks. Han made Chewbacca take me to his quarters to use his refresher."

"Good. That's good." there was an awkward pause. Luke looked uncomfortable like he wanted to say something more. "Erm, Jo." he finally broke the silence. "I could teach you how to use a blaster...if you want me to, anyway."

Jo smiled softly. "I would like that."

"Great! Once this is all over, I'll help you!" he promised. There was another awkward silence. He looked uncomfortable as if he were debating on what to say. "Well, I'm going to go check and see if Han could use anymore help." he decided. He gave her once last friendly smile and walked to the cockpit.

She stood there a moment longer in complete happiness until Leia pushed past her. She didn't so much as glance at Jo to acknowledge her presence. Jo sighed.

What do you do when your childhood heroine hates you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm in the process of writing the fourth chapter. Let me know how I'm doing so far!


	4. Chapter 4

The remainder of the trip to Yavin IV was a tense one. Jo, at first, stayed huddled in the gaming booth as far as she could from Leia. Leia had refused to acknowledge Jo and instead found interest in staring off into the distance with a slight scowl. If Jo had not been there, she wondered if the Princess would have found the solitude comforting. But Jo was wrongfully there, and the princess did not want that. Leia let out a weary sigh and slumped forward. She rested her forehead against her hands.

"Would you please stop looking at me like that," she snapped at Jo. Jo turned her attention elsewhere. She blushed slightly, unsure of what to say in return. Should she apologize? Should she question what Leia meant? Jo toppled over onto her side in the booth and pulled her knees to her chest. It was probably the most uncomfortable fetal position in history. Jo would not risk resting her feet against Leia on accident.

Jo closed her eyes and hoped that after all of this, she would fall asleep. Her mind had other plans and, thus, it refused to shut down. At some point, Jo heard Luke come into the Hold. This sent Jo into a panic. She had hoped that he would catch onto her fake sleeping and talk to her. Her hopes were squashed when he decided to converse with Leia and ignore her completely.

The only time he registered her existence was to drape his poncho over her body. Jo felt frozen in time and glanced up at him through her lashes slightly. He stood above her and stared straight ahead to where Leia was seated. Jo melted into the poncho and let a pent up breath release from her she had held through the exchange. He glanced down at her and she squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to control her breating as she felt him adjust the poncho up to her chin. Jo wished he would stop, she couldn't take it.

"How long has she been asleep?" Luke asked Leia softly.

"I'm not sure. Not long." Leia answered and then proceeded to change the subject. That was it. Luke moved away from Jo and did not fiddle with the poncho through the remainder of the duration.

Jo managed to doze off for what felt like a few short lived minutes when she was violently jerked awake by a grumpy Han Solo.

"Wake up," he growled. She shot up and the poncho fell away from her shoulders. She felt something wet on her chin and she scrubbed the drool away with a fist. Han, to her embarrassment, saw it all. "Get up." He was very impatient.

She stood and bundled the poncho in her arms. Han reached out and gripped her shoulders to steer her in front of him. He pushed her out onto the ramp of the Falcon's exit. She winced for a moment as natural sunlight attacked her vision. Once the glare faded she took in the Rebel Base's scenery. Troops surrounded them to block the path to the temple. Two X-Wings sat docked on either side of the Falcon behind them. The nature that encircled the temple was a lively green forest. It was all so overwhelming and random. Jo's hair was slick with humidity. The air was heavy with the promise of rain. Jo backed into Han. The smuggler let out a yelp as she stepped on his boots.

Leia finished her talk with one of the Rebel troops surrounding them and turned to face her newest entourage. "These speeders will take us to the temple," she explained. She turned back to the soldier and pointed to Artoo. "Be careful with that R2 unit. He is holding the plans."

The Rebel bowed a little and whistled for help. Four other Rebels joined him in loading Threepio and Artoo into one of the speeders. Leia placed herself on the side of the speeder and Luke closely followed to sit next to her. Han gave Jo a push towards the speeder. He side-stepped around her and sat on the other side of Leia towards the back. This left Jo to fend for herself as she watched Chewbacca join the droids. The only opening left was on the other side of Luke. She climbed on top and sat on the narrow seat. Luke's shoulder pushed against hers and her back pressed against his slightly. He flashed her a polite smile. She felt her face heat up and she clutched the poncho tighter to her chest.

"Thank you," she managed to choke out and handed him the item back.

"You looked cold and uncomfortable. Did you sleep well?" he asked as he pulled the poncho over his head.

"Not really," she said sheepishly, unable to look away. The speeder started up when a solider hopped onto the front. It jerked forward and sped off towards the temple.

"Did Leia and I keep you up?" his smile turned to a concerned frown.

"No," she said quickly. "Not at all! I just found it a bit difficult to sleep in general."

He nodded a bit as Leia tugged on the sleeve of his poncho. He turned away from her and Jo was forced to take in the rest of the scenery to entertain herself.

As they drew nearer to the temple, Jo noticed that it was a true artifact. The stones were crumbled in places, and in many ways, looked ready to collapse. It reminded her of a great tourist attraction that could be found on Earth. The speeder slipped into the opening and the awe of the temple was replaced with a military setting. The interior had been completely converted into a hanger. Rebel Troops were lined up on either side in respect for Leia. More starfighters loomed around them docked and ready for battle. Droids rolled past beeping to one another. Humans and aliens alike bustled from one place to the other to get to certain stations. Unlike the Death Star, this military was lively. Chatter filled the air instead of deathly silence. The speeders came to a halt and a man rushed forward to envelop Leia into a fierce hug. A few troops rushed forward to help Chewbacca unload the droids. Luke hopped down and began to walk around the base in childlike wonder. Han stood slowly and stretched a bit. Jo stayed where she was. A blonde haired woman in a Rebel pilot uniform misunderstood her hesitation and walked towards her.

"Excuse me," the pilot cleared her throat.

"Hmm?" Jo turned her head away from watching Luke walk under an X-Wing. She came face to face with the stern faced woman.

"Do you need help?" she asked and reached out her hands. Jo felt herself nod, but she couldn't tear herself away from the pilot's amber eyes. The woman gently placed her hands on either side of Jo's waist. Jo pushed herself off of the edge and the Rebel guided her to the ground.

"Thanks," Jo mumbled as the woman removed her hands.

"Evaan!" someone called out. Jo's pilot turned at her name. "You're needed in the Board Room!"

Evaan did not bother to acknowledge Jo again and left with the solider who had called for her. They escorted Artoo away and Chewbacca had to grab Threepio's arm to keep him from going after them. Jo watched Evaan leave. She was so distracted that she didn't hear Han approach.

"Close your mouth," he ordered. "Gee, girl, you couldn't have been more obvious." he laughed as she reddened.

"S...she had pretty eyes," Jo stuttered. Han smirked.

"Yeah, next time tell her that instead of burning a hole through her. " he suggested.

"Han! Jo!" Luke jogged up to the pair with a huge smile on his face. "Leia is taking me to meet some squadron leaders. I'm going to be a pilot!"

The innocent statement caught Jo off guard. She felt a rush of affection for the farmboy well up from inside somewhere deep. It brought a smile to Jo's lips, but it instantly disappeared when Han decided to speak up.

"That's great, kid." Han's voice lacked enthusiasm. "In fact, I need to speak with the princess now. So, if you'll excuse me." Han clapped Luke on the shoulder, not bothering to meet his eyes as he walked over to Leia. Luke and Jo watched as he interrupted Leia and the man who had greeted them.

"Do you think he's going to leave?" Luke spoke up, his eyes never leaving Han's back.

 _'Most defiantly_ ,' Jo replied mentally. Rather than saying this bit aloud, Jo just merely shrugged. "Maybe not."

Luke faced her with a hopeful look that could have swayed a nation. "Are you staying?" Jo couldn't speak for what felt like a long time.

"Luke, I don't belong here." she finally whispered. Luke's face crumbled.

"Jo —," he began, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"No. I don't. Where are they going to put me? I don't know anything about engineering or being a pilot. I've never seen these ships in real life! I couldn't tell you anything about them either!" For once, she didn't have to lie. She felt her heart speed up.

Luke sensed her panic and awkwardly placed a hand on her right shoulder. "Don't worry! Leia would find a place for you!" he promised.

Jo sighed in defeat. Jo had barely talked to Luke since being found. Why was he so adamant to keep her there? If she stayed, she would be nothing more than a burden to these people.

"Listen, just think about it. Okay?" he squeezed her shoulder. He left for Leia whom motioned for him. She wore an unhappy expression from her encounter with Han. Han walked back to Jo. He looked guilty, and Jo acted like she didn't notice. Leia pulled Luke away to follow the man from earlier and Luke glanced back at Jo to ensure his promise. Jo smiled and waved as he left.

"C'mon," Han's voice bit through her train of thought. "it's time we discussed your little stowaway stunt."

She trailed after him as he nodded at Chewbacca. Chewbacca made a sound as they walked by.

"Is Chewbacca joining us?" she questioned Han. She didn't know if she wanted him there or not.

"Nah," Han let one of his hands graze the bottom of a starfighter's wing they had drifted under. "Chewie's gonna check out Maintenance to pick up some supplies for the Falcon."

Two Rebel pilots in their orange suits ran by and Jo studied them. She felt the sudden urge to try one on.

"I'm just gonna get straight to it. I believe you were trying to catch a free ride out of that barren hellhole," he claimed pausing his stride. He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops. "So, the way I see it you owe me after all of the trouble you've caused. I didn't agree to one extra passenger and seeing as though I'm not getting my 17,000. You can pay off your half by becoming part of my crew."

Jo's face heated as outrage bubbled inside of her. "You're leaving!" she blurted out the spoiler in anger. "No! If I don't belong here, I especially don't belong with you!"

A few soldier bystanders stared at the scene. Han moved closer with his hands held up in surrender. "Hey! Take it easy! Nobody said anything about belonging to any one. Look, if you wanna go back I can't take you. Fuel ain't cheap, sister!" he said defensively.

"I don't want to back there," mumbled Jo. Han crossed his arms and sighed. "You really don't like making things easy, do you?"

"Not really," Jo cracked a smile, but refused to meet his exasperated stare.

"I am leaving," Han admitted after a moment's pause.

"What?" 'Why do I sound so surprised? It wasn't like he was going to actually change.'

"The princess is giving me my cut of the reward soon. In fact, Chewie isn't really picking up supplies. He's trying to speed up the process. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can pay off a few debts." Han looked away from Jo as she finally raised her head. "This isn't a place for you. Being apart of my crew isn't the safest place either, don't get me wrong. But, _this_ , this isn't a place for you. These people are gonna start a war. I don't want any part in this. This was never apart of my plan."

Jo could have argued with him. Jo knew she could have brought up that she had just as much right to be here was Luke did. Luke was her age. Hell, Leia was her age. He didn't know her. She could have told Han he was wrong about himself. She knew he was going to stay. She kept quiet. She saw that he didn't really believe what he was telling her either. He looked torn and the only thing she could do was slowly nod.

"Okay," she agreed. He gawked at her in surprise. "Okay. I'll join your crew."

A genuine smile lit up his face. "Alright. But, don't get used to this. This is only temporary until you can find a place." he pointed at her.

He swaggered away before she could say anything more. She didn't have to.

* * *

 

It was several hours later when General Dodonna called for the debriefing. Around that time, Jo and Han had managed to take a tour of most of the base. They had ran into Luke and they decided to go to the Mess Hall for some much needed "space food" Jo had so lovingly dubbed it. Leia wasn't able to join them, much to the relief of Jo. Han didn't talk much to Luke or Jo as they ate. The only time he did say anything was to insult Jo on her eating habits. She had scarfed down her entire tray in only a few seconds and gulped down three glasses of a sweet sort of juice. The textures, colors, and odors of whatever she was eating did not bother her.

"You're gonna choke." Han commented as he took a swig from his cup. His lips puckered in disgust and he spit out the drink back into the glass. Jo ignored him and continued to all but lick her tray clean. Luke, however, was more subtle about his starvation.

"When's the last time you've eaten anything, Jo?" asked Luke as he took a bite of some yellow square that Jo had hoped was similar to Earth Jello.

"Two days ago," she garbled with her mouth full before she could stop herself. Luke looked away and Han rolled his eyes. She let out a sound and covered her mouth in humiliation.

"Charming," remarked Han sarcastically. Jo swallowed and pushed her tray away.

"All pilots report to Level 2 for debriefing," the loudspeaker echoed through the base. "All pilots report to Level 2 for debriefing."

"I gotta go," Luke hopped up. When he stood, a Rebel troop appeared at their table.

"The princess has requested your presence in the War Room." the young man said to Han. "Your wookiee companion has already been escorted and is waiting your arrival."

Han stood and pulled Jo up by her left bicep. "If I'm going, you're going."

They were led to the War Room which resembled a high-tech lecture hall. Luke left Han and Jo to sit with the other pilots. Chewbacca stood at the back of the room waiting for Han. Jo leaned against the outer wall of the Room that looked out into the hallway while Han and Chewbacca leaned against either side of the door from the inside. The meeting began and Jo peeked around the corner to watch the Hologram of the Death Star boot up. A few pilots straggled in as General Dodonna stood at the front.

"The princess is gonna have somebody meet us here to give Chewie and I our credits." Han whispered to Jo. Dodonna gathered everyone's attention. "as soon as we load up, we're leaving."

"What about Luke?" Jo questioned softly. Han stayed silent for a moment.

"The battle station is heavily shielded and carries a firepower greater than half the starfleet. It's defenses are designed around a direct scale assault." the General's gruff voiced boomed on in the background. Jo was sure she could probably quote half of this speech in her sleep.

"The kid belongs here." Han eventually answered her.

"Are you too cool for goodbyes?" huffed Jo.

"An analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has demonstrated a weakness in the battle station." So, maybe that was an exaggeration. She didn't really care what the man was talking about.

Jo scooted closer to Han. "Maybe you should tell him goodbye." Han chose to ignore her.

"The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point." Dodonna motioned to a place on the Hologram.

"Actually, no maybe. You really need to tell him you're leaving. We can't just avoid him anyway. I mean he will —,"

"You know, girl, I liked it better when you barely talked!" Han snapped loudly.

A few pilots swiveled around to shush them. Leia sent Han and Jo a sharp glare form the front of the room for causing a slight commotion. This indicated her Han senses must have been tingling. Jo ducked her head and shrunk away from Han.

"Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. The shaft is ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes." Han's outburst did not stop Dodonna's speech.

 _'How does Leia know everything?'_ Jo thought in shame.

"Man your ships! And May the Force be with you!" the General dismissed the pilots.

"C'mon. Get away from the exit." Han led Jo out of the room and into the drab hallway. Jo watched the pilots filter out. She thought she saw Luke, and turned to Han to ask. The smuggler had become very invested in the look of his boots than watching for Luke. Jo frowned and decided to leave him alone.

Leia stalked out of the War Room and fixated her sights on Han. A soldier followed at her heels as she strode over to Han. Han looked up from his boots.

"Save it," he sneered at her.

"Save what?" Leia inquired, disbelief at his tone.

"I'm not staying." he expressed.

"Nobody asked you to," Leia said dangerously. "This is Private Ors. She will take you to your reward, which is currently being unloaded in the Hanger. You will be responsible for loading it back up and taking it to your ship. After that, you are free to leave."

"Your worship, look —," Leia raised a hand to interrupt Han.

"I don't care if you stay or go. You've got you're reward. My advice to you is explain whatever you're about to say, to Luke." with that she gave Jo a look that clearly read _'Make the right choice.'_ and strode away, her white dress billowing behind her. Han refused to watch her leave and turned his attention to Private Ors.

"Mister Solo, if you would follow me." Ors inclined her head to the lift that would take them to the Hanger.

The ride down to the Hanger held a lot of tension. Jo could practically feel Han's guilt radiating off of him. Chewbacca stood in between Jo and Han, Jo was grateful for this. Jo didn't trust herself to keep from spewing any more spoilers, no matter how small. They reached the busy hanger which was alive with pilots loading into X-Wings. Ors directed them to a discarded speeder with small light colored boxes stacked in the middle of the floor. Han and Chewbaca immediately set to work lifting the boxes into the speeder.

"Thank you, Ors." Jo smiled to the Rebel Private. The girl nodded and left.

"The least you could do is give us a hand with this," Han growled.

"The least you could do is tell Luke goodbye," Jo crossed her arms to show she would not help. Han slammed a box into the speeder and whirled around.

"Why are you so concerned with this? I didn't see you say anything to him. Why don't you say goodbye, hmm?" he burst out.

"It doesn't matter what I say to him." she argued back.

"Yeah, well, stay out of my business." he leaned over to pick up a box that lay at her feet. He avoided the rushing flight crews that ran by them in case he would see Luke. Jo saw him anyway across the Hanger and the look he gave her made Jo want to distance herself from Han.

"You're so obvious," Jo muttered to Han stealing his line he had used on her. Luke made his way over to their speeder.

"So, you've got your reward and you're just leaving then?" Luke said coolly.

Han dropped the box he was holding and put on a faux confident attitude. "That's right, yeah! I got some old debts I've got to pay off with this stuff. Even if I didn't, you don't think I'd be food enough to stick around here, do ya'? Why don't you come with us? You're pretty good in a fight. I could use you."

' _What is he? Robin Hood?'_ Jo seethed as Han used the same words he had practically used for her.

"Come on!" Luke said angrily. "Why don't you take a look around? You know what's about to happen, what they're up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You're turning your back on them."

"What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it?" Han explained. "Besides, attacking that battle station ain't my idea of courage. It's more like suicide."

"Alright, well, take care of yourself, Han. I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?" Jo thought he would leave like he was supposed to, but she was so very wrong. "You're going with him, aren't you?" he rounded on her.

Jo forgot how to speak. What were words? She tried to gather them, to find something for him. The only thing that came out of her mouth was unintelligible words. "I'm..uh, I'm...I...crew?" she offered weakly. Her nonsense did not change his pissed off demeanor.

"I told you, I don't belong here." she finally decided on a sentence. She couldn't look him in the eyes.

"You could," he insisted.

"I can't fly anything. I can't even hold a blaster properly. What good would I be for this place? A Mess Hall worker?" Jo would not look at him.

"Jo, no. I could teach —you know what? Forget it." he turned away and Jo kept her gaze on the ground. Han hesitated for a second.

"Hey, Luke!" he called out. "May the Force be with you."

Luke barely glanced back at the pair and gave them a half wave. Chewbacca growled at Han.

"What're you looking at? I know what I'm doing." He resumed loading up the last of the boxes. Jo watched Luke get lost in to the sea of orange flight suits. She didn't bother pestering Han further. She picked up the final box and passed it to Han. Their eyes met and Jo gave him a look that resembled Leia's. ' _You made the wrong choice.'_

Han pried the box away from Jo. "Hop on and make sure the boxes don't fall off." he acted as if he hadn't caught the look, but she knew her message was well received.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So this chapter is shorter than I had originally planned. I just felt it was appropriate to end it here. This was a bit of a filler chapter. I left a few Easter Eggs in here as well. A tribute to Legends and Current Canon. :) Let me know how I'm doing. OOC literally terrifies me lol. I'll doctor this up later :)


	5. Chapter 5

It took Han a whole hour to unload the speeder. Chewbacca decided to prepare the Falcon and recheck for items that may need for the trip off of Yavin IV. Jo sat idly to the side on a patch of grass out in what was left of the sun. The clouds had rolled in and the promise of rain hung in the air. Jo worried about Luke. What if something didn't go as planned? What if Han decided not to follow after him? Han kept pausing his duties to look up at the sky every so often as if he was contemplating something. Around the fifth time he froze to stare up, Jo snapped a blade of grass in half.

"You know, if you're so worried why don't you just go after him?" Han swerved around to face Jo.

"You know, why don't you make yourself useful and help unload the speeder?" he seethed.

Jo shrugged. "I don't help grumpy old men." Jo had no idea where she thought she could talk to Han Solo this way, but at this point she didn't care anymore. She was a lost fugitive in a made up galaxy with a made up man who couldn't talk his way out of a church.

"Grumpy old me-," his face screwed up in anger. In two long strides he was in front of her. "Listen here, girl, I don't know who you think you are-," He didn't get a chance to finish for Chewbacca came running out of the Falcon yelling things Jo could not understand. But what Earth human would understand Wookiee? "Calm down. Calm down! What do you mean Luke is in trouble?" Jo's heart dropped into her stomach.

Chewbacca waved his arms about frantically. "What do you mean you managed to tap into the Rebel base's line? Chewie, why the hell would you do that! I told you not to get involved!" Han yelled back. Chewbacca growled. "No! Absolutely not! We are not going. I'm not looking to get killed today." Chewbacca proceeded his persuasions. Jo scrambled off of the ground to stand beside the pair. "The kid should have known what he signed up for."

"Luke's going to die if you don't help him!" Jo cried as she grabbed at Han's arm. "Han, go! You have to go." Han stared back at her in irritation. His features slowly softened to a look of concern. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"C'mon, Chewie! Get the Falcon ready." Chewbacca grunted in reply and scurried up the ramp.

Jo kept her grip latched onto Han's forearm. "You're going after him?" she breathed.

"If it weren't for me the kid would already be dead up until now," Han said shaking her grip loose. "You're staying here."

"What! How is that fair?!"

"Plenty. You think I forgot that grumpy old man remark? Besides, I don't need you in anymore danger than you already are. I don't need you in the way." he said beginning his venture up the Falcon's ramp.

"Gee, how thoughtful." Jo grumbled.

Just before Han disappeared up the ramp he gave his parting words to Jo. "And don't start thinking I'm disappearing yet. Don't forget. You still have a debt to pay off to me!" With that, the ramp flew shut and the Falcon began it's take off. Jo found herself alone again. Alone and worried about make believe people in a make believe galaxy. She looked up in time to catch Han Solo take off out into the skies. She felt a tightening in her chest. Suddenly, as if possessed, she let out the loudest scream she could. The scream of frustration echoed off of the trees, startling nearby creatures, and bounced off of the rebel base. It echoed through the quietness. Jo screamed until the breath left her. It took several minutes to catch the breath lost. With that, she promptly fell back onto the grass and shielded her eyes from the sun. Where was she to go?

Jo had managed to doze off into a stress filled nap. Deciding that she had had enough of the pitiful sleep, she straightened up and brushed off the grass.

"You there!" a voice commanded from behind her. She whipped around to find two male rebel soldiers. Their guns were pointed at her daring her to make one false move. Jo let out a squeak. "You are ordered by the Princess to return to Base." Jo slowly nodded in shock to show her compliance. After all, where else could she run to? They would just drag her back. Better to go while she still had the ability to walk on her own. They manned either side of her and marched her back up to the old building. She was led into the hanger. There were fewer X-Wings docked than she remembered. There just a ways a head stood a poker faced and one pissed off Princess Leia Organa. Jo gulped. What had she done now?

The soldiers pushed her forward. Jo slightly bowed her head in shame. Leia sighed. "Well, Solo was right. What were you doing out there by yourself? Why didn't you return to Base?" Jo's head shot up. What?

"I-I...Huh?" she stammered.

"It's over now, Jo. Those left are headed back. Han told me to have someone find you. That flyboy had the gall after all to go after Luke. He said he left you here. Why did you not return?" Leia questioned adamantly.

"I-I didn't know I could?" Jo said weakly. Leia was quiet for a moment. A thought dawned on Jo. "Wait! Is Luke okay? Han actually went back for him?! When is Luke returning?" Jo forgot herself and grabbed Leia's shoulders. Her escorts pulled out their guns immediately. Jo paled and dropped her hands immediately. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean-,"

Leia held up a hand. "It's quite alright. Han and Luke are safe." That was when Jo felt relief sink back into her. She was able to take in her surroundings. The stiff and tense atmosphere had changed. Fellow rebels were scurrying about in celebration. X-Wings appeared in the horizon.

"He did it," Jo whispered thinking of Han and Luke. "He actually did it."

"Skywalker is preparing to land." a Rebel informed Leia. Leia's demeanor changed dramatically. Both Leia and Jo stood both anxious to see who remained. Jo saw him a few seconds before Leia. A tousled Luke Skywalker popped out of his X-wing.

"Luke," Leia whispered. She took off towards the X-Wing shouting his name. Jo almost followed, but she froze. Luke swooped Leia up in his arms and twirled her around. The thoughts of not belonging plagued Jo once more. Han ran up behind the pair and joined the hug. The trio was caught up in the moment. Nobody remembered Jo. The attention is briefly distracted from the reunion to a busted up R2-D2. Jo felt like a complete outsider looking in. Luke meets her crestfallen gaze and broke away from Han and Leia's embrace. In a span of seconds Jo is swept up into the young Skywalker's arms. Jo didn't know how to react. In that moment, she melted, died, and was reincarnated all in one. She burrowed her face into his orange flight suit breathing in the sweat and dirt and hell, she didn't care what else. Her negative thoughts drifted away. A few tears escaped her. She sniffled into his neck and Luke pulled her back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Luke laughed.

"What are you sorry for? Jo, be happy!" he shook her shoulders and wiped her eyes. She smiled wetly.

At that moment, Han forced his way in between the pair. He pulled Leia in the mix and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Alright. Alright, that's enough you two. The celebration is only just starting!" He wrapped his other free arm around Jo's shoulders fully pulling her from Luke's heavenly embrace.

"Oh no it isn't! Lest you forget there will be a ceremony in the morning and you both are to attend!" Leia said sternly.

"Sister, that won't stop me from having a good glass. You could use a few yourself. Kid, you deserve one on me!" Han nudged Luke.

"Gee, Han. I don't know-," Luke started.

"We are celebrating and that's final." Han ordered and with that he pulled Leia and Jo away towards the Mess Hall. Luke wrapped his arm around Leia on her free side. Jo didn't care. Nobody had forgotten her and all was well. For now.

\------------------------

In the past twenty-four hours, Jo had managed to get lost seven times and was late to the Ceremony. The previous night had not been as eventful as she had hoped. Upon reaching the Mess Hall, Luke was immediately swept away by Wedge Antilles. After all, the Rebel base was eagerly wanting to meet the Boy Wonder and have a shot with the new kid. Leia, too, had drifted off into the sea of Rebels. Jo had been left, once again, under the wing of Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han wasted no time in getting his much earned drink. He also made sure Jo had a glass of her own.

"What the hell is this?" she had asked him as she sloshed around the copper liquid.

"The best brew in the galaxy. Lighten up, kid, and take a shot." he had barked back. He settled himself in between some officers and set to work swindling them out of money at a game of cards. Needless to say, he had lost but at the time he was confident. Jo departed away from him and settled herself onto a crate to observe the small celebration.

"You aren't from around here, are you?" a voice had startled her from her thoughts. Jo jumped and turned to find the beautiful blonde lady from earlier that day. Jo shook her head. "I could tell. You're a jumpy little thing. Rebellion doesn't look like it suits you." Without asking for Jo's consent, she plopped herself down next to Jo on the crate. She stuck out her hand. "Evaan."

Jo took it lightly. "Jo," she released Evaan's hand. "Thank you for helping me earlier."

Evaan shrugged. "It looked like you needed help. Nobody else was offering."

'I take it back. She isn't as pretty anymore,' Jo thought bitterly to herself. Jo glared down into her glass. Why was she over here if all she was going to do is be rude to Jo?

Evaan sighed. "You wouldn't ever know she lost a whole kriffing planet. She almost looks pretty damned overjoyed to me." Jo's head shot up from her glass. She peered up at Evaan curiously. Just who was she talking about? "Goddamned Ice Princess." Evaan practically hissed in disdain. Jo followed her gaze to where Leia stood politely smiling and listening to a couple of Squadron Leaders.

"I don't know. She looks pretty bored to me," Jo answered. Evaan tore her gaze away from Leia and studied Jo for a minute. Jo felt the overwhelming need to defend Leia. This woman didn't know Leia. Hell, Jo didn't know Leia. But Leia hadn't had any time to mourn. How dare this woman sit here and make such accusations. "Then again, with what's she's been through in the last several hours, I'm surprised she's still physically standing. I couldn't do it. In fact, all I've done is bury my head in the sand instead of actually doing anything." Jo swirled the liquid around in her glass. Evaan kept her piercing gaze upon Jo. Jo started to feel increasingly uncomfortable.

"What did you say your name was again?" interrogated Evaan.

"Jo," Jo cleared her throat. Her anxiety was reaching its peak level.

"Hm, well, Jo you gonna drink that or are you just gonna play with it?" Evaan gestured to Jo's glass of unknown alcohol. Jo blushed and shook her head.

"No, go ahead. You can have it." she handed it over to Evaan. Evaan threw it back in one gulp and grimaced.

"What the hell is this?"

"Apparently the 'Best Brew in the Galaxy'." Jo almost laughed as she sarcastically threw out Han's words.

"To who? A gundark?" Evaan's lips puckered. Jo snorted.

"No. To him," she gestured to where Han sat now around a crowd of officers probably getting his ass handed to him.

"That suddenly makes more sense," Evaan muttered more to herself than to Jo. They sat in another awkward silence. Jo felt a pressing need to fill the silence as she met Leia's eyes. There was an unknown emotion there that Jo just couldn't catch onto. An emotion Jo would probably never be able to understand. Jo was overcome with a sudden sadness. Leia would never really have time to mourn the life she had lost. Leia would continue find a strength Jo would probably never possess in this lifetime or the next. In that moment, Jo promised herself that she would swear her utmost allegiance to Leia.

"Y'know, I'll never know the pain everyone here has felt. Everyone here has lost something and I'm not sure if I will ever understand the pain that they are going through. But what I do know is, I hope one day I am able to have an ounce of the strength and humility that Leia has through every trial that I may face while I am here. I would only be so lucky to be like her," Jo recited with a newfound boldness. "And so would you." She met Evaan's eyes once more. Evaan's face flushed in annoyance and embarrassment.

"I wouldn't go around talking about things you have no idea about," she threatened in a low voice. Jo only shrugged.

"Maybe not, but it doesn't do any good talking a bunch of shit either." with that Jo walked away and never looked back. She made her way to Leia and was struck with the anxiety of what she had just done. She suddenly lost her voice when Leia asked what she wanted. Jo barely mumbled a coherent thought and that's how Leia took it upon herself to excuse both of them from the celebration. Leia had a officer show Jo where she would be staying for the remainder of her time on Yavin IV. She had also sent a crate of clothes for Jo to have. They were all Rebel fatigues. Not anything pretty. Of course, Luke would have fresh new clothes. Jo had thought that was unfair. Leia had barely said any other words to her after she left Jo with the officer and took her leave. Her last sentence had been that Jo had better be on time to the ceremony. To which Jo now presently found herself late to the ceremony anyway in plain clothing and Chewbacca in tow. Chewbacca didn't seem all that thrilled with the idea of going to this. Which is why he had shown up at her door five minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start. Upon arrival, Jo was immediately rushed up the stairs to stand next to C3PO and R2.

"My, Mistress Jo, you are quite late. Princess Leia is most unhappy." C3PO scolded.

"It's not my fault the Wookiee came and got me so late. I could barely find my way back to my room after my shower. What makes anyone in this place think I would have been able to find my way here?" Jo grumbled as Leia sent an irritated look to Jo. Jo gladly returned it. The Base immediately quieted after the doors on the far end opened revealing Luke and Han. Jo watched as the Rebels turned to the side in military stance as the men made their way to where Leia awaited. R2 chirped as Luke finally made his way up the steps. He laughed quietly as R2 teetered back and forth in excitement for his friend. He caught Jo's eyes and flashed a smile her way. Jo ripped her eyes away from him realizing he had caught her staring. Leia placed the medals around Han and Luke's necks. Han and Luke turned back around to face the Base. When they did, Leia and General Dodonna shared a grave look.

Leia stepped forward closer to Han and Luke. "We have much to be grateful for today," her voice echoed off of the cobblestones. "Thanks to your courage, we have delivered a telling blow to the empire with the destruction of the Death Star. But our own casualties were not small." Jo looked to Luke to see him grimace. Jo automatically knew he was remembering Biggs and her heart dropped. "Let us take a moment go honor the lost souls of Alderaan to honor Viceroy Bail Organa and Queen Breha Organa." Luke closed his eyes and surprisingly, Han did the same. Jo couldn't make herself as disrespectful as it was, she didn't feel comfortable.

"May they forever be remembered."

Jo glanced into the crowd and saw other Rebels had done the same as she had. She caught several of the pilots whispering among themselves. She thought Evaan and wondered what she had thought of Leia's speech. Probably not anything respectful in the least.

General Dodonna cleared his throat drawing Jo's attention away from the pilots. "Would that there were proper time to mourn...but the Empire now knows our location. Therefore, our first priority is to find a new base of operations. To that end, all Rebel fleets have arrived to assist us in evacuation Yavin immediately. Each of you has been assigned a station for dismantling and transporting. Some of you will be asked to scout for potential outposts. All of you are invaluable. Through you, the alliance lives to fight on."

"To your stations. And May the Force be with us all." The spell was then broken and the sea of people parted. The ceremony was over.

Leia, Han, and Luke grouped around Jo and the droids. Luke walked over to stand by Jo. Jo gave him a polite smile to which he returned tenfold.

"You heard the General. There's much to be done. Let's go see how much of it involves a hairy beast and his copilot," quipped Leia as Han drew closer to the group.

"Hey, he's the copilot," Han jabbed a finger at Chewbacca. Chewbacca grunted in response.

"I know," Leia smirked.

Han rolled his eyes and grabbed Jo's shoulder. "All I know is wherever I'm stationed, you're gonna be right there." he started pulling her away.

"But," Jo started as she glanced behind her shoulder to see Leia grab Luke's wrist to pull him to the side.

"Uh-uh, girl. We gotta deal. You heard the General," he mimicked Leia forcing Jo out of the door with Chewbacca right behind them.

It was well on into the day and Jo was exhausted. She had helped Han and other Rebel operatives load base records into speeders. Han hadn't been exactly happy with the assignment, so he mostly leaned back and watched Jo struggle. He had stuck to making light conversation with Jo. Well, conversation containing promises that they would be leaving soon. He "wasn't going to stay. He did what he came for", Jo had rolled her eyes in response.

"If you want to leave so bad, then why are we still here? Helping?" Jo slammed a crate down and barked back at him. After the remark, Han folded his arms in a almost pout and refused to speak to her until Leia found them around a short break time.

"Could I talk to you for a moment, Han?" Leia asked upon arrival. Before Han could answer she nodded briefly at Jo. "Hello, Jo."

"Hello, princess," Jo said as she wiped her brow. It was incredibly hot and humid inside as well as outside.

"What do you need, princess?" Han asked ignoring the two women's curt greetings to one another.

"There's something I would like to show you." was all Leia said making a motion for Han to follow her. Clearly, Jo was not being invited. Han shot Jo a confused look and left with Leia to the Briefing Room leaving Jo to rest against the crates Han had been ordered to load.

'Great, he would be the one asked to leave. Now I have to do his share as well,' Jo thought miserably to herself. This is where a sweaty Luke Skywalker found her not long after Han's departure.

"Where's Han?" he asked. He had his flight suit unzipped to the waist in attempt to cool off from the blazing temperature. Jo could see he had a grey short sleeved shirt underneath that he had sweated all the way through. It clung to him and Jo couldn't help but admire him.

"With Leia," she choked out. Luke frowned and ran a hand through his hair.

"What for?" he asked jealously.

"I don't know." Jo watched as he stared off into the distance. He was probably hoping to get a glimpse of Han and Leia. Poor jealous thing.

"Have you eaten anything?" he gave up his search and turned his attention back to Jo.

"No. I haven't." He grinned at her response and reached into his utility belt that was tied around his waist of his flight suit.

"Good. You wanna eat together? I know it's hot, but the sun is out. It'd be nice to get a change in scenery." He handed her his canteen full of water. She gently took it from him. "Go ahead, take a drink. I don't want you to get overheated."

She flushed at his concern as she flipped open the top. As soon as the cold liquid touched her lips she found herself gulping down half the canteen. She was shook out of it when it started to dribble down her chin. She quickly put the canteen down in her lap and swiped the liquid away. In that moment, she could have died. Luke only laughed.

"C'mon, Jo," was all he said and reached out a hand to help her up. She followed him outside and they went towards the forest of trees. When he decided that they were out far enough, he perched himself on a rock. He had taken them to a grassy area that was located by a small stream.

"Wedge told me there's a waterfall nearby. I wanted to see it, but there hasn't been any time to do it. I'd have taken us there." he said as Jo settled herself next to him. He handed her a ration bar and the canteen. "I've never seen one before. Actually, I've never seen so much water to begin with." Jo unwrapped the bar and took a bite. It was stale and it tasted like an old saltine cracker. Luke must have sensed her distaste, "I'm sorry I couldn't find more. They were only passing out ration bars to the pilots. I would have taken you to the Mess-,"

"It's fine, Luke. I understand." she interrupted him and took another bite. He only smiled. 'Dear Luke,' she took a moment to silently thank his thoughtfulness.

"Actually, Jo. The real reason I brought you out here is I don't know how much time I'll have to spend with you. They are gonna start having me scout soon. I'm sure that's what Leia is talking to Han about," Jo's heart sped up.

"Oh?" was all she could say with a mouth full of ration.

"And, well, I promised you I would teach you how to shoot a blaster. I figured now would be the best time," Jo's face fell. Of course.

"Oh." she grunted.

"Don't look like that. It's easy, I promise." He grinned and held up his hands in a surrender.

"You do that a lot." Jo remarked.

"Do what?"

"Make a lot of promises," she said as she finished off the bar and took another drink out of the canteen.

"I intend to keep them, too." he stated and unclipped his blaster from his side. He got up from his perch on the rock to stand above Jo. He crouched next to her and held the blaster out to her in both of his hands. It looked almost like a pistol from Earth with the exception of the odd shaped cylinder piece at the end. "This is a M-57. If you see this, this is typically used by the Rebel alliance. Stormtroopers normally carry heavier rifle blasters. They typically use E-11's. But this blaster is lighter. It's gotta little weight to it, but it doesn't have a whole lot of kick back." He pointed to a small latch on the very back of the blaster. "This turns the safety on and off. The safety is on right now, but I'm going to turn it off in a bit. Here, hold out the hand you use best."

Jo took a gulp. God, she hated guns. Even little made up laser ones. She held out her right and Luke placed it in her palm. "See? It's not too heavy. It's got enough weight to it for the right balance." Her hand curled over the metal handle. It felt like a paper weight, a paper weight that could kill a man. Luke studied her cautiousness for a moment. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Jo. I know it's hard for you right now." He gave her shoulder a little squeeze and stood to his feet. He walked to the stream and found two large stones. He picked them both up and propped them up against the rock he had rested upon only seconds ago. Jo stood up and wiped the grass from her bottom with her free hand. He gestured for her to come stand a ways from the rock. She followed his order and came to stand next to him.

"Alright, now I'm going to take the safety off. Okay?" she nodded weakly as he stood behind her. His arms came around her and he flipped the tiny latch at the back of the blaster down. He gently placed a hand on her right that held the blaster handle tightly. He guided their hands upwards to where the blaster pointed at the rock that held the two stones. He reached down and placed his left over her free hand and rose that one back up to the handle. "You see those stones over there? Aim at one of them." his voice was too close to her ear. She felt his breath on her neck and suddenly, she wished she were elsewhere. She shakily aimed at the stone to the left. He released her hands and slowly backed away. She felt his body heat leave her.

"Concentrate on that stone. When you're ready, pull the trigger. Don't be too surprised if you feel your hands pull back a little. If that happens, never lose your grip. No matter what. If you miss it, that's fine too. You're just learning today." She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She shut her eyes tightly.

'This is okay. You're okay. I know it's hard. If it gets too much, at least Luke is here,' she reminded herself. 'You're okay.' It became a chant.

"Only pull it when you're ready," he told her softly. Her eyes snapped open and she concentrated on the stone. She bit her lip and pulled the trigger.

The shot rang out among the trees and a red blast darted forward towards the rock. A loud blast indicated that a target had been hit. Whether it was the stone, Jo didn't know. Her wrist jerked upwards, but her left hand kept it's grip. She stood strong against it and forced her hands to stay in the position Luke had placed her in. Luke jogged forward to see if Jo had made her mark. The rock smoldered a little from the blast. The stone had been knocked forward off of it's perch against the rock. Luke kicked it over with his boot to see that there was a scorch mark right in the middle. He smiled in relief.

"You did it, Jo!" he congratulated her. Jo sighed and loosened her grip on the blaster. She hastily flicked the safety back on and closed her eyes tightly. Luke walked back over and took the blaster back from her grip. "I knew you could do it. I know that was hard for you, Jo. You did a great job."

She gave him a weak smile. "I learned from the best." Luke only returned her smile with a slight blush to his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard to write. I was going to have it up on May the Fourth, but I've been so busy. I'm finally out for the summer and college is shitty. The timeline in between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back is a hard one. So this is how this timeline is going to go. Now that this story is back in full swing, I have done all the research that I can. The Last Jedi fucked up all of my plans, so I had to change some things around. A New Hope is going to go right into the plots of Marvel's Princess Leia comic and Han's mission to Cyrkon. These two plots will take place at the same time. Leia is going to go off with Evaan and Chewbacca and Han will leave for Cyrkon. This will leave Jo with Luke for the time being. Things will get heated up, I assure you. When these two events wrap up, I will immediately go into the events of Heir to the Jedi, Marvel's Skywalker Strikes series, and the concluding volume Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon. Whether you've read these or not, it won't matter. It's just what I've chosen to do. Sana Starros will make her grand entrance. I've got a lot to accomplish. So, let's do this.


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